Past Perfect Continuous Tense definition with examples

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: The past perfect continuous tense shows actions that were ongoing in the past and ended before another past action. You can create this tense by combining “had been” + present participle (verbs with “ing” ending).

Definition in Hindi For Indian Users:

पहचान: इन वाक्यों के अंत में  रहा था /रही थी /रहे थे (इतने  समय से) आता है।
जैसे:
राम 2 घंटे से खेल रहा था।
वे सुबह से खेल रहे थे।
सीता कल से पढ़ रही थी।

There Are Generally Two Uses For This Tense:

1. Ongoing continuous events over a period of time before another action or event in the past. These must be continuous verbs, and cannot be actions that are still happening in the present.

Examples:
>You HAD BEEN WORKING for hours when I tried to call you.
>The dog and the cat HAD BEEN FIGHTING all day yesterday before you came home from work.

2. A past action that illustrates cause and effect. You must use a continuous verb to show the action that happened first.

Examples:
>You were feeling sick because you HAD BEEN EATING too much junk food all day.
>I failed the test because I HAD BEEN STUDYING the wrong subject.
>The fireman failed to connect the hose because he HAD NOT BEEN KEEPING it properly maintained.

Rule For How To Make Tense:

If Sub=I, You, Singular(एकवचन) or Plural(बहुवचन) [Same Rule for all Subjects]

1. Sub+had been+Verb+ing+since/for(time)
2. Sub+hadn’t been+Verb+ing+since/for(time)
3. How+had+Sub+been+Verb+ing+since/for(time)
4. Why+hadn’t+Sub+been+Verb+ing+since/for(time)

Examples :

Affirmative:

• We had been talking to him for half an hour.
• They had been working on this plan for years.
• I had been teaching for ten years.
• She had been writing a book since Monday.
• The teacher had been giving them assignment for a week.

Negative:

• We had not been seeing anything unusual here.
• The child had not been improving for past two years.
• They had not been watching movies since afternoon.
• She had not been singing a song since morning.
• They had not been disobeying him since a long time.

Interrogative:

• Had he been looking at you for a while?
• Had the people been tolerating injustice?
• Why had he been behaving so rudely with you?
• Why had you been trying this number for hours?
• What had you been expecting from him?

Example In Hindi And English :

1. Affiremative Sentence Example :

• वह चार घंटे से सो रही थी।
  She had been sleeping for four hours.
• वह एक साल से कठिनाईयों का सामना कर रही थी।
  She had been facing troubles for one year.
• हम दो घंटे से स्नान कर रहे थे।
  We had been bathing for two hours.
• हम अक्तूबर से गर्म कपडे पहन रहे थे।
  We had been wearing woollens since October.
• वह आधे घंटे से खेल रही थी।
  She had been playing for half an hour.
• हम कई सालों से कार रेस में भाग ले रहे थे।
  We had been taking part in car race for many years.
• फायर बिग्रेड के आने से चार घंटे पहले से आग जल रही थी।
  The fire had been burning for four hours before the fire brigade arrived.
• हम शाम से खेल रहे थे।
  We had been playing since evening.
• वे एक महीने से प्रतिदिन कॉलेज जा रही थीं।
  She had been going to college daily for one month.
• वे कर्मचारियों को एक साल से लाभकारी कार्य सिखा रहे थे।
  They had been teaching useful work to workers for one year.

2. Negative Sentence Example :

• वह एक सप्ताह से नहीं खेल रहा था।
  She had not been playing for one week.
• लड़की कल से सो नहीं रही थी।
  The girl had not been sleeping since yesterday.
• कल से वर्षा तेज नहीं हो रही थी।
  The rain had not been fast since yesterday.
• हम एक साल से स्कूटी नहीं चला रहे थे।
  We had not been driving the Skuti for one year.
• वे उनके साथ कई दिनों से नहीं खेल रहे थे।
  They had not been playing with them for many days.
• हम एक महीने से अपराधी को पकड़ने का प्रयास नहीं कर रहे थे।
  We had not been trying to catch the criminal for one month.
• वह एक घंटे से नहीं दौड़ रही थी।
  He had not been walking for one hour.
• हम दो साल से यहाँ नौकरी नहीं कर रहे थे।
  We had not been serving here for two years.

3. Interrogative Sentence Example :

• क्या वह एक महीने से नौकरी नहीं ढूंढ रही थी?
  Had she not been searching for job for one month?
• क्या कार्यकर्ता कई महीने से हड़ताल को स्थगित नहीं कर रहा था?
  Had the workers not been postponing the strike for many months?
• क्या कमलेश बचपन से खाना बनाना नहीं सीख रही थी?
  Had Kamlesh not been learning how to cook since childhood itself?
• क्या वह प्रातः से घर की सफाई नहीं कर रही थी?
  Had she not been cleaning the house since morning?
• क्या उस दिन सुबह से बादल गरजना नहीं कर रहे थे?
  had the clouds not been thundering since that morning?
• क्या वह दो घंटे से कर्मचारी से बहस नहीं कर रहे थे?
  Had he not been arguing with tha worker for two hours?
• क्या वे चार दिन से हवाई जहाज में यात्रा नहीं कर रहे थे?
  Had they not been travelling by aeroplane for four days?
• क्या वह सितंबर से शादी की तैयारी कर रहा था?
  Had he been preparing for marriage since September?

Exercise for practice :

1. वे वहां कई महीनों से आते रहे थे।
2. चीता शाम से पिंजरे से बाहर आने का प्रयास कर रहा है।
3. वह कल से घर की सफाई कर रही थी।
4. हम तीन दिन से पार्सल के आने का इंतजार नहीं कर रहे थे।
5. पूनम कई दिनों से होसटल जाने की चेष्टा नहीं कर रही थी।
6. वह एक दिन से लोकेश को पत्र नहीं लिख रही थी।